Reversing rheostat



D 1942- H. w. BATCHELLER REVERSING RHEOSTAT Filed Dec. 50, 1940 Patented Dec. 22, 1942 REVERSING RHEOSTAT Hugh W. Batcheller, Newton, Mass, assignor to Standard Mfg. 00., Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 30, 1940, Serial No. 372,325

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a reversing rheostat suitable for use on the dashboard of an automobile or elsewhere as desired.

It is an object of the invention to provide a rheostat which is compact and economical in structure, is reliable in operation, and is operated by a rod of the push-and-pull type.

As hereinafter described in more detail, the invention may be embodied in a rheostat including a plate of insulating material on which are front face of the plate.

circuit wires.

IOWS.

rheostat embodying the invention.

ure 1.

ure 2.

ure 2.

for.

elements of the rheostat.

of the four rows shown.

mounted four parallel rows of fixed contact ele- The elements l2 of the first row are all conments, these elements being exposed on the nected together by a metal strip M which is se- The elements of the sevcured by these elements against the rear face eral rows are suitably connected as by metal of the plate Hi. strips on the rear face of the plate, these metal In the second row of elements two of the elestrips having end portions which serve as terments It are connected by a metal strip I8 which minals or binding posts for the attachment of they secure against the rear face of the plate l0. Apair of movable switch members This strip it has a laterally offset portion in the form of bridging conductors are arranged which is secured by a pair of elements 22 in the to move in parallel paths so as to connect corre-- 20 third row. The remaining two elements 24 in sponding pairs of contact elements in the first the second row are connected by a portion 26 of and second rows and in the third and fourth a metal strip 28 which is laterally offset, the

These bridging conductors are mounted strip being secured to the plate ll] by the rein a block of insulating material adapted to be maining two elements 30 as in the third row. reciprocated against the front face of the plate Thus the elements of each of the second and by means of a rod which projects from the block third rows are divided into two groups which are through an end wall of the housing member arranged side by side and are diagonally conwhich covers the front face of the plate. nected. As indicated in Figure 5, the strip I8,

For a more complete understanding of the in- 20 and the strip 23, 25 are crossed in such a vention, reference may be had to the following manner as not to be in contact. description thereof, and to the drawing of which In the fourth row of elements the first element Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a reversing 32 and the third element 3 3 are connected by a metal strip 36, the other two elements 38 and 40 Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figin this row being connected by a metal strip 42.

35 Between any two consecutive elements in the Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figfourth row, as for example the elements 34 and 46, is connected a resistance coil 50 of suitable Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figcharacteristics, this coil being preferably secured in place by the rivets 34 and 463.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pair of 49 I8, 23 and 36 are preferably provided with suitcrossed connecting strips adapted to be mounted able terminals or binding posts 52, 53, 54 and 55, on the rear face of the base of the rheostat. respectively, to which circuit Wires may be at- Figure 6 is a perspective view of the sliding tached. block or carrier for bridging conductors, show- The front face of the late I!) is covered by a ing the bridging conductors and springs theresuitable housing member 6t which is secured to the plate ill by any suitable means such as a plu- Figure 7 is a diagrammatic representation of rality of ears E32 bent over the margin of the rear a modified form of base for a reversing rheostat. face of the plate as shown in Figure 1.

As indicated in Figure 2, the rheostat may the housing 60 and guided thereby is a slidable comprise a base if! consisting of a plate of insublock 64 of insulating material, this block preferlating material which carries the fixed contact ably having a pair of longitudinal ribs 66 which These elements are bear against the inner face of the member 6|]. preferably arranged in four parallel coextensive The rear face of the block 64 is provided with a rows as shown in Figure 3, each element consistpair of suitable recesses 63 adapted to receive a ing of a rivet having a flat head exposed on the pair of springs H3 and a pair of bridging conduc- The strips 14,

Within tors 12. Each bridging conductor is constructed so as to present to th front face of th plate 19 a pair of contact elements 14, these contact elements being so spaced from each other as to move up and down the rows of fixed contact elements on the plate Ill as the block 64 is reciprocated in the housing. The springs press the conductors l2 yieldingly against the front face of the plate It! so that good electrical contacts are maintained between the movable contact elements M and the fixed contact elements in the respective rows on the plate It. For operation of the rheostat a rod 16 is secured to the block 64 and projects from the end wall of the housing. A finger knob (not shown) of desired size and shape is mounted on the projecting end of the rod. To provide a suitable bearing for this rod and also means for mounting the rheostat in position, a bracket 80 may be secured to the housing member 69, this bracket 80 having a screw-threaded bearing mem ber 82 carried thereby for the rod 76.

As indicated in Figure 2, means may be provided for yieldingly holding the block 54 in any one Of its various operative positions. Such means may consist of a series of bosses 85 pressed in from the front face of the housing member 50 to be engaged by a spring-pressed ball 88 seated in a recess 95 in the front face of the block 6 3.

In operating the rheostat, the rod 75 is pushed or pulled to move the bridging conductors 12 into simultaneous engagement with successive pairs of contact elements in the four rows of elements, one of the conductors connecting the elements of the first and second rows, the other conductor connecting the elements of the third and fourth rows. When the rod 16 is pulled sufficiently to move the block into the first operating position as illustrated in Figure 2, the bridging conductors are in the position indicated in Figur 3. This results in a direct connection between the terminals 52 and 53 and between the terminals 54 and 55. When the conductors are moved to the next position of operation, it is evident from Figure 1 that the terminals 52 and 53 will be directly connected but the terminals 54 and 55 will be connected through the resistance unit 62. In the next position of operation the terminal 52 is connected with the terminal 54 and the terminal 53 is connected with the terminal 55, this resulting in the reversed operation of an electric motor which is properly connected to the terminals of the rheostat. In the fourth position of operation, the terminal 52 is directly connected to the terminal 54 and the terminal 53 is connected to th terminal 55 through th resistance unit 62. Thus two speeds in either direction are provided for.

Figure 7 illustrates a form of invention by which three speeds in either direction may be obtained. As therein shown the first row of contact elements on the front face of the insulating plate is represented by a strip 80 of copper. The second and third rows of contacts are represented by pairs of elements 82, 84 and 86, 88. The fourth row of contacts consists of six separate contact elements 90, these contact elements being connected together in pairs as indicated. Suitable resistance units 92 are connected between successive elements in either half of this row. The operation of this rheostat is similar to that hereinbefore described in connection with the rheostat shown in Figure 3.

It is evident that various modifications and changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and described without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A rheostat comprising a plate of insulating material, four coextensive parallel rows of the same even number of contact elements exposed on the inner face of said plate, means electrically connecting together all of the elements of the first row in a group, means electrically connecting the elements of each half of the second and third rows of groups, crossed connectors connecting each group in the second row with the diagonally opposite group in the third row, means electrically connecting each element of half of the fourth row with the corresponding element in the other half of said fourth row, a resistance unit connected between each pair of consecutive elements in one half of the fourth row, a set of four terminals connected respectively to elements of said rows, a carrier slidable in a direction parallel to said rows, a pair of separate alined bridging conductors carried by said carrier and arranged transversely with respect to said rows of elements, one of said conductors being adapted to connect any element of the first row with a corresponding element in the second row, the second bridging conductor being arranged to connect any element of the third row with a corresponding element of the fourth row, and means for guiding the movement of said carrier.

2. A reversing rheostat comprising a plate of insulating material, four coextensive parallel rows of rivets extending through said plate, said rivets having their heads exposed on the front face of the plate, a metal strip secured against the back of said plate by all of the rivets of the first row, a second metal strip having a portion secured to the back face of the plate by some of the rivets in the second row, said second strip having a laterally oif-set portion secured by some rivets of the third row, a third metal strip having two portions relatively offset laterally to register with the remaining rivets of the second and third rows and secured to the plate by said remaining rivets, a fourth metal strip secured by a pair of rivets in the fourth row which are respectively opposite to the two portions of the second and third strips, a resistance unit mounted on the plate, means electrically connecting the remaining elements in the fourth row to each other and through said resis ance unit to said fourth strip, a terminal on ea h said strip, a pair of insulated bridging conduct 5 movable on the front face of the plate to conn ct corresponding rivet heads in the first and second rows and in the third and fourth rows, and means for moving said conductors up and down said rows.

HUGH W. BATCHELLER. 

